Japan's ambitions 'soar into space'

Cartoon by Ma Hongliang

Japan's House of Councillors passed a series of bills on June 26 — including the Bill for Partial Amendments to the Self-Defense Forces Law — reorganizing and renaming the Air Self-Defense Force as the Air and Space Self-Defense Force.

Under the legislation, the new Air and Space Self-Defense Force will be established within fiscal 2026. A new specialized unit for the space domain, the "Space Operations Group," will be established under the command of an Air Self-Defense Force general. The unit will advance satellite launches and strengthen space situational awareness and surveillance capabilities.

This marks the first time since the establishment of Japan's Ground, Maritime and Air Self-Defense Forces in 1954 that the name of a service branch has been changed.

Since Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi took office, Japan has been accelerating its remilitarization.

The rebranding of the Air Self-Defense Force marks a phased step in Japan's push to militarize space, exposing its ambitions beyond Earth's atmosphere.